Just need a little reassurance...

[Miss M]

Okay, it's beyond time to send six of Pearl's first litter to freezer camp; we just haven't had much opportunity until now. We just want to make sure we've got a good plan here.

I remember reading (I guess on HT) about someone putting each rabbit in a bucket with a bunch of greens, and the bun happily munching away, and never knowing what hit it. We liked that idea, so we figured we'd do that.

We have a 750fps air rifle with .177 caliber pellets -- the pointed ones. I understand from Maggie that you aim point-blank at the base of the skull between the ears, toward the jaw. Does the aim have to be exact in order to prevent a screaming rabbit?

We'll be doing this at night after the kids go to bed so that they don't know about it until morning. We really can't have rabbits screaming in this neighborhood at night. Not to mention the fact that we want to be merciful to the buns. We don't want them to suffer, we just want the lights to suddenly go out.

 

[pfaubush]

I use a .22 rifle and make an imaginary X between the eyes and the ears and aim at the center of that going towards the jaw. I'm guessing it would be the same with the air rifle. The only time I've ever heard a rabbit scream during dispatching was the only time I've seen cervical dislocation.

 

[MaggieJ]

Miss M, you have accurately described how we do it. Feel the back of your neck until you find the indentation just below the skull. It will feel slightly tender if you press hard. That is the spot on the rabbit that we use.

I've never had a rabbit scream. I've had the occasional time when my aim has been a tad off, but the rabbit has been stunned and does not scream. A second shot finished the job quickly. Usually the first shot is sufficient, but if I am in any doubt I use a second shot.

A rectangular cardboard box just a tad longer than the rabbit may work better than a bucket. Having someone to push the ears gently forward makes it easier to find the spot to shoot. I'd withhold food after the morning feeding. This will make butchering easier and will also ensure the rabbit is focussed on the goodies in the box.

If you are really nervous, make sure there is a hatchet or hammer or something else you can use to bop the rabbit. You won't need it, but I found the first time that it gave me some peace of mind knowing that if the pellet gun was not strong enough (yours should be more than adequate) I had a back-up method handy. Belt and suspenders club member, here. :roll:

 

[Anntann]

It's fast and looks painless. Be sure to be on grass or dirt so the pellet will go into something soft if it goes through. We also use a .22, and found that the rabbit bleeds out almost completely right there.

Just be resolute. Don't flinch. The kill will be fast and complete. Mike said there's twitching about 20seconds after the kill. It's nerves shutting down, I think. Apparently, from the reports from human executions, about 25% have the same twitching going on. Even with beheadings, the body can react for a short time.

 

[MaggieJ]

Yes, they often do have reflex twitching or kicking. It's normal and does not indicate that the rabbit is still alive. Many people say that if you touch the eyeball and there is no response, the rabbit is definitely dead.

Six is a fair number to do the first time, at the end of a long day especially. I suggest doing two or three and then the rest a couple of days later. Don't forget to age the meat in the fridge for 2-3 days before cooking or freezing.

 

[eco2pia]

I didn't know you could use an air rifle--we are in town and so the .22 is out, I have always had to bop them. I have a narrow steel bar for the purpose. I've only ever had one scream (the first, of course), but it does take nerves of steel to hold a rabbit upside down and calmly hit it, and I don't really like it. My husband can't do it at all, which amuses me endlessly, 'cause he looks so tough.

Can you point me to specs on the right kind of air rifle? they come in powers right? this could be so much nicer!! I am learning so much here, thanks all.

 

[MaggieJ]

I found out how effective a pellet gun can be when dispatching a rat caught in a live trap. I fired through the bars - darned rat was attacking the barrel! - and it did such a good job that I asked about it for rabbits... and then gave it a try. I'd never go back to bopping, but I do wish we had a hand-gun style pellet gun instead of a rifle type. Easier to place the shot where you want it. You want a pellet gun with a high muzzle velocity... 750 fps is good. You should use it at point-blank range for maximum effectiveness. There are several spots that will be fatal.

 

[Miss M]

Thanks, everybunny! That was exactly what we needed to know! We really needed the reassurance. All the extra tips, wonderful!

Cardboard box... goodness knows, I have those right now!

I didn't realize six was a lot for the first time. We'll probably take your advice, Maggie, and split them up.

Eco2pia, this is the one we have: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Remington-Air-Master-.177-Air-Rifle/5913355

I see that with pellets, it's 725fps. At the bottom, someone asks if it can kill a rabbit. Someone else answered that they had killed a rabbit with it with one pellet at 15 feet. You do have to make sure you pump it enough times to get the full velocity. One of the reviewers says, "To get it to shoot at the maximum velocity of around 725 FPS, you have to pull the action out about 7 or 8 times." The scope is removable, and some reviewers don't like the scope, others do.

 

[MaggieJ]

The only problem I can see with your pellet gun is that reloading may be slow, due to the number of times you have to pump it. Mine only has to be pumped once.

 

[Miss M]

The only problem I can see with your pellet gun is that reloading may be slow, due to the number of times you have to pump it. Mine only has to be pumped once.

Yes, that is a disadvantage, and good reason to have a hatchet on hand (which we have) like you mentioned above.

How much did you pay for yours? What muzzle velocity does it give you? We really couldn't have afforded to pay much more than we did at the time.

Eco2pia, I believe I've read that 500fps is not really enough power, even point-blank on a rabbit. It would have the risk of injuring the rabbit rather than killing it, or even actually bouncing right off the rabbit. So you would want to go with something higher than that. It needs to be able to shoot pellets, not just BBs. And a rifle is a bit unwieldy when trying to aim and get the best angle, so a handgun is ideal. Single-pump to achieve max muzzle velocity is better than multi-pump, because if you have to take a second shot, the single-pump will do it much faster. But, with price as a factor, you do what you can.

Did I get that all right?

 

[MaggieJ]

Sounds right to me, Miss M.

I really don't know the fps for my pellet gun. I'm too hot and lazy to look it up today. We bought it maybe 8 years ago and it cost far more than it should have. Things like that tend to be more expensive this side of the border.

 

[Miss M]

I didn't know that... though I do remember when I worked at a store in coastal Delaware, we would have tourists from Canada who were blown away by the fact that we didn't have a sales tax. "How do you pay for your roads?" etc. Well, Delaware had an income tax, so that's how. Personally, I think sales tax is more equitable than income tax. When we lived in Florida, they had a sales tax and no income tax. And I've lived in states (like now) that have both -- that's no fun.

But I've gone way off topic...

 

[avdpas77]

I have dispatched 100's of rabbits and have never had one scream,
but I have had them scream just by picking them up. :bash: :stars:

 

[Marian]

Eco2pia, I believe I've read that 500fps is not really enough power, even point-blank on a rabbit. It would have the risk of injuring the rabbit rather than killing it, or even actually bouncing right off the rabbit. So you would want to go with something higher than that.

My pellet riffle is 495 fps, it does the job, one shot. In Canada, any pellet riffle/gun over 500 fps requires a FAC (fire arms certificate) I have no idea what type of riffle I have, I bought it off the shelf at the local hardware store. It has a long barrel which I like because I can rest it on the edge of the bin the rabbit is in, making it a very steady and accurate shot. I have no-one to help me and I have to make sure my shot is right on. What I really like about mine is that it has a collapsible stock turning it basically into a long barrelled hand gun and I only pump it once. Once a year or so, I tighten all the screws and oil the chamber, that's all the maintenance it needs.

 

[garnetmoth]

We are off to camp with our first 3 today! Little nervous also. I like the box of greens/treats idea, thanks!

My DH wants to get a captive bolt gun but we dont know where to get one....?

 

[MaggieJ]

You can probably find a captive bolt gun online by doing a search, but I think they are very expensive compared to a pellet gun.

 

[moonkitten]

My DH wants to get a captive bolt gun but we dont know where to get one....?

I have the one built by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food specifically for North American processing plants. It works well, but it was $350. http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/inspection/ahw/zephyrstungun.htm

There is one designed to work with special rubber bands here: http://www.therabbitwringer.com/ called the Rabbit Zinger. Several people have had good success with this one, but I have no personal experience with it.

 

[garnetmoth]

oh thanks! Not wanting to hijack, the Zinger looks awesome. Ive had tendinitis in my right hand and dont know if Im strong enough to manually do them. My dad has a pellet rifle at his house- it will be on standby. DH's dad is a veterinarian and DH has done cervical dislocations before. We'll see how it goes....

 

[Miss M]

My pellet riffle is 495 fps, it does the job, one shot. In Canada, any pellet riffle/gun over 500 fps requires a FAC (fire arms certificate) I have no idea what type of riffle I have, I bought it off the shelf at the local hardware store. It has a long barrel which I like because I can rest it on the edge of the bin the rabbit is in, making it a very steady and accurate shot. I have no-one to help me and I have to make sure my shot is right on. What I really like about mine is that it has a collapsible stock turning it basically into a long barrelled hand gun and I only pump it once. Once a year or so, I tighten all the screws and oil the chamber, that's all the maintenance it needs.

Wow, I wonder if there are other differences among pellet guns besides fps that determine whether it's effective on a rabbit or not. That's a nice tip about resting it on the side of the bin, too.

 

[eco2pia]

I have been reading about pellet guns and apearantly people hunt wild rabbits with them. I would imagine point blank to the back of the skull would require less muzzle velocity than shooting a rabbit in the head at 40 feet away. Could that be the discrepancy? I am having trouble finding a high muzzle velocity on a handgun with reasonable price tag. I would go to about $80, but if it's gonna cost more than that, I guess I am back to bopping them, which is at least free. The bruising is sometimes bad though.

Sigh. Everything is always complicated.